Tales of the wild

a X-over between

Breath of the wild/Tales of Symphonia

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or Breath of the wild.

Before you start: please note that English isnt my first language. It is possible that there are mistakes in this story. That said, have fun reading :)

Another some what longer chapter. I'm sure that isn't a bad thing! Also, thanks again for the reviews, I love how nice and excited they are. If you haven't reviewed yet, I'd really appreciate it :)

Stealth was never really his thing and it never will be, Lloyd was certain about that. Of course, he knew going in head on wasn't smart, but he only learned this over the course of the journey. In this case, he was out of place, didn't exactly know what was waiting for him and it would be overall smarter to arrive at the end.

Still, he'd imagine it would have been worse without. He did spot the rock like creatures Vera had called Gorons. And yeah, they looked mostly like a big boulder, but with a face, big arms and hands. Lloyds wasn't sure he should approach them yet. Sure, they were a peaceful folk, but still seemed a little rough around the edges.

Real climbing gear wasn't necessary, so he was told. And yes, the path that came into sight, leading up the volcano was not too slanted, it was still very rocky. It won't be a breeze, that much was clear.

Lloyd tilted his head, following the height of this mountain. Yeah, that was pretty high. Not to mention glowing with lava and spewing dark smoke. Maybe I could use that thing Revali gave me, Lloyd considered. Letting the current carry me up to at least a higher point and go from there.

If the professor were there, she would have given him a lecture about hovering and how heat brings in an extra factor, a high probability of making this a dangerous plan. But Raine wasn't there to stop the teen from doing foolish things.

Lloyd pulled out the green orb out of his bag, a bright glow coming from within the middle, lined with the shape of a bird.

How does this work? Lloyd found himself wondering, looking at this glowing object. Simply by concentrating on it like that, it seemed. A current swiped up around him, going up. This itself was not enough to lift the teen off the ground. Not knowing how long the effect would last, Lloyd quickly got out the para glider, slid the orb in his pocket and folded it open.

Woosh! The sheer rush, the feeling in the pit of his stomach. It felt great and scary at the same time. The first time he was picked up like this was during his training with Teba. Though he did it often, he'd never get tired of this initial feeling, this great rush. Was it adrenaline? Maybe, it had the same kind of feel to it.

Flying itself never really gave him this rush on the Rheiards however. The only time he got that was when he sprouted his own wings.

Lloyd shook his head, that still felt like such a dream. Speaking of, he needed to focus on what was happening now! A rock wall was fast approaching. A quick glance around, give him a place to go and he steered this way.

Now that he was completely out of his magical upward current, he could feel the influence from around. Yup, heat would do that to a light piece of fabric made for gliding. It was out of his control and he stunted to a different place, making a rocky landing.

"Auch... Well, at least I'm on a steep place, or in the lava." Lloyd shivered at this thought, despite the heat around him.

He could feel the heat, pressing on him like weight. But hey, at least he wasn't on fire. Quickly, Lloyd put away the glider before that would catch fire.

Let's not do that again, he noted to himself, taking in his surroundings. He had landed on a large, protruding rock, a steady stream of lava going around it like a glowing hot river. Okay, so he was lucky to land on this rock, but now he was stuck on it. He needed to either jump or go for another 'pick me up.'

Both were risky. The jump seemed quite far, a tick flow of lava bubbling between him and the next rock. Also, it was hard to see if said rock gave any help to his being stuck situation. So, flying again, just hope for the best? If anything, the heat pushed him up and never in to the lava...right?

Damn. Well, here goes nothing. You're in this now, Lloyd. Just do this quick, but smart. He took out the orb again, aiming his gaze on it, while making sure he'd ready the glider as fast as possible.

This time, it was full on concentration. The teen hung on the current, to look at his surroundings. The gust will disappear, he had learned, and it also kept him in just one place. He had to give himself up to the elements, try to steer as much as he could and just hope for the best.

Drifting, Lloyd spotted what looked like a path. Yes, so lucky! Putting his weight in, he went for it. It was not clear if it was luck or the graces of the goddess, but Lloyd was just very relieved he made it. Seeing all that very hot and deadly lava beneath you, doesn't exactly make you comfortable.

Putting away the glider, a strange sound drew the teens attention. It almost sounded like something sucking in air. A rock flew past his hair. He could feel it grace some locks, while it zipped by his face.

"What the..." Scanning the area the projectile came from, he at first saw nothing. Until a medium sized rock moved up and revealed a creature hidden underneath it, making that noise again.

To call it an octopus, was maybe a bit of a stretch, but there were some similarities. As to what it was doing; it was sucking in any loose things lying around that it could possibly throw with a strong blow. This time however, Lloyd saw it coming.

"One thing into another," he muttered as he found the hilt of the new sword he had gotten and pushed the button. The sword activated and he sliced away the rock that was coming straight for him. Then, the thing hid itself under its rock again, to Lloyd's astonishment.

"I know you are there. And still you chose to do that?"

Was this creature just very simpleminded? Lloyd knew that if you got close enough, it would be scared and stay in hiding. Vera had told him this. But as soon as you turned your back to it, you get a rock to the back of your head.

The teen stepped closer, swatting off another projectile with his sword. And after that, he already was too close; the octorok did not pop up again. Lloyd was now standing right next to the rock, and no movement came from it what so ever.

How did it breathe? Was it even a rock it was hiding under? Curiosity got the better of him, so Lloyd lifted the rock slightly, finding it not heavy at all. The octo squeaked at being found out, then tried to lash out with its clearly way to short tentacles.

Lloyd felt sorry for the thing. It probably didn't know any better, was just trying to survive in its own way. The teen looked around, still holding on to the octorok that obviously wasn't pleased. Well, Lloyd saw one solution, looking down the path.

"I'm sure you're sturdy. Sorry, little one."

After the teen said this, he threw the creature down the road. Not too hard, but enough for a great distance between them.

That was an experience...Lloyd wiped the sweat from his forehead while he looked ahead. The path gingerly went up while winding around the rock wall. He had no clue how far he was, how far he still had to go. Well, no point lingering. Put your foot in front of the other and move forward.

One thing he did notice; there were not many placed to find cover. Except for maybe some bigger rock, this road was barren and open. No real sneaking around here. Oh well, it was useful while it lasted.

The sword was put away for now, because its hold was still metal that heated up in this environment. Now Lloyd also was extra wary of rocks, his pace was slow, on guard. If he'd see one more, he will just run straight past as fast as he could.

Next to the octoroks, the teen noticed some critters in the form of lizards, almost in the same color of lava. They were small and ran away as soon as Lloyd came in sight. They surely were fast. But he'd rather have these small ones, then the big ones that could blend in as well as attack you with a certain element.

Suddenly the heat hit him full on. There was no warning, no real change of scenery. Just a wall of heat that hit him like a ton of bricks and brought him to his knees. Was his mouth so dry this whole time? Did it always feel like his head was on fire and he was walking on hot coals?

"Hey there, goro. Are you alright? You don't look it. What you feelin'?"

One of those boulder people was suddenly next to him. It startled Lloyd, he didn't even see this guy coming. Still, priorities.

"Wa-water." His mouth felt like sand paper and dust.

"Ah, no worries, goro. I gotcha."

The Goron had a travel pack on his back, from which he retrieved a bottle with the clearest looking water. Thankful, the teen took this and started to drink.

"You must have felt the effect of the heat proof elixir wearing off. Yeah, that's a mean one if you aint used to it."

Cheerful the Goron laughed. The elixir, of course! Idiot, you were told it won't last all the way! Lloyd looked for the second elixir in his bag right away, while sipping the water. It did give some relief and cool down. He was happy with that.

In one swig, he emptied the next bottle of being fire proof. Wiping off his forehead, he noticed still having the bandana on, so he took this off. He had a feeling stealth was no longer needed.

"You alright there now, goro?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks a lot, you're a lifesaver."

"We rarely get humans up this path, so I'm happy to help. But it will get dangerous further up."

"I have heard, but I'm gonna help out with that."

A hint of disbelieve in the big, round black eyes of the Goron was clear, when Lloyd pointed to the active volcano. To this, he just nodded and decided to walk on, now knowing he didn't have too much time with the elixir's effect.

"There is a mine ahead, it's safe in there!" The Goron called after him.

Something to keep in mind. Reinvigorated, he bravely walked on. There were no eruptions as of yet, but Lloyd kept his guard all the same. The mentioned mine came up a short walk later.

This was the first time Lloyd saw Goron's active, moving around and working. When they wanted to move fast, they rolled up in a ball to get around. It was interesting and funny to see. How did they find their way like that, did they not get dizzy? The teen found himself wondering, while he watched for a moment.

It was a mine, the Goron's were hacking away at various stones. And hey, was that a human? A guy was running around. It looked like he was chasing after the small lizards who were around. But they were too quick and small for him.

"What are you doing?" Lloyd was curious to know.

The guy turned to him. He was wearing a weird sort of helmet, it almost looked like a welder's mask.

"These little lizards are an important ingredient for any heat resisting recipe. I gotta catch as many as possible."

"Like the heat proof elixir?"

"Exactly. I don't need it myself, because I got this." He tapped his helmet.

"Eh, is that enough?"

"Well, not fully. But it helps a bunch. A complete set from the city would completely nullify the heat. But the way from here is hard, with all the eruptions going on. Its hindering anyone to go."

"Even the Goron themselves?"

"Well, yeah. They are a a bit more durable, so some do travel. But I hear most just keep in their home for shelter."

"It's all the work of that thing in the mountain." A child Goron was close enough to hear the conversation going on. Both looked at this kid.

"Thing? Do you mean the Divine Beast?" Lloyd inquired.

"All the fire, eruptions. That thing ruins our home." Of course the kid sounded sad. People were suffering under a certain presence.

This was hitting very close to home. All the suffering people were under, because of Cruxis, no, Mithos. All because of his twisted sight on things, him projecting his pain onto others.

Lloyd shook his head, he had to put these thoughts aside. It didn't apply to this, to here and now. The teen knelt down before the kid; he was still so small he had to look down.

"Don't worry, kid. I promise you will be able to life safely again, no longer in fear."

Here he went making promises again. Lloyd did this to a fault. He was kind of aware of this. But it was part of who he was. He wouldn't make promises he couldn't keep. The last one was a bit of a struggle, but it all worked out.

With will, hope and courage, much can be accomplished. Of course, Lloyd would add friendship to this as well, but in this case he was alone. He didn't like it, but he still had them with him. In his mind and his heart, everyone was with him. And that was what was giving him strength.

The wonder in the kid's eyes made Lloyd smile, while he stood back up. "I'm gonna go to your hometown and help out, you can go home soon, just you wait!" He flashed him a thumbs up.

When Lloyd stepped towards the way forward, the guy spoke up.

"Wait! It's dangerous. The eruptions are very frequent, there is no real timing on it. Whenever you feel the ground shake, find shelter fight away!"

"Thank you for the advice." Lloyd smiled with a nod to the guy and then really got going.

The mentioned eruptions didn't wait long. A slow rumble was the first indications, turning into a small earthquake. Luckily, the path seemed to be prepared for this, as it was littered with shelter, like caves or sturdy, leaning rocks.

It seemed the Gorons at least tried to make it possible to go up this path, for that rare crazy person who wanted to do so. More probable was their hopes for the hero to come to save them from this whole situation.

They might look sturdy, and even cheery, from what Lloyd had seen of the Goron people. But they were suffering all the same, that much the kid made clear.

That the eruptions were hard to time, was no joke as well. Sometimes, there was a long pause in between, other times, there were mere seconds. Good thing there was so much shelter. But it did pose a problem; it took up time. And Lloyd was on the last of his second heat proof elixir, he could feel it.

He had no real clue how far he had to go for the city itself. And even if he made it, it was still going to be hot and dangerous. This didn't stop him however. He would never give up, Lloyd was stubborn like that.

Now on his last elixir, the teen pressed on, while being rained on by molten rocks and lava. Zelos would have called him absolutely crazy, doing this for people he didn't know the first thing about. But the softhearted idiot wouldn't have stopped him either, probably finding an excuse to go along with his bud.

After rounding a bend, everything suddenly seemed to open up. The path now went straight ahead in a slope, leading to what seemed like a typical entrance post to indicate a town. To the left, the volcano rose ever higher, looming over this place almost menacingly.

Lloyd noted something important though; the lack of shelter on this last stretch. It was clear that the boulders of the eruptions were the cause of this, they were scattered around everywhere. Due to the path's edges being steep, nothing much could stay up to form a natural kind of shelter. There were only three, all made of sturdy, looming rock.

This was going to be a challenge. There was no timing, it just had to come down to sheer luck. Had he wasted that all coming up this far? Well, there was only one way to find out. Now it was quiet, Lloyd bolted for the first shelter.

He wasn't planning to go for it again, even though the pause seemed long. An eruption came five seconds later. He wouldn't have made it to the next one, the teen was pretty sure of that. After this, he ran as quick as he could, going for the next shelter. He got there just in time.

Man, it's a good thing these rocks are so sturdy. I don't want to know what it's like to get caught up in one of these!

Again, it was good that he waited for a moment; another eruption came, close after the other. Lloyd looked at the city ahead. The end was in sight, yet he couldn't quite get to it. It was frustrating for sure.

After two close eruptions, certainly the next pause will be bigger, right? That was Lloyd's line of thought when he went for it. But the next shelter was further away and the shaking combined with the heat that was raising up, made it all far harder.

He was not going to make it. Too far ahead and running back was just as useless. Was this really going to be it? Being crushed by rock so close to the place he needed to go?! Making himself as small was possible, was the only thing the teen could think of. And pray to the goddess he will not be hit.

After the rumbling was over, he suddenly felt himself getting picked up. "Not save here." A young, male voice almost squealed, running with Lloyd under his arm.

The heat pressing on him, made him slow, and he felt like just closing his eyes to go to sleep. Only to be shaken out of it at the last second. Noticing the pressing heat was significantly less, Lloyd felt his strength come back, as well as his alertness.

A Goron was in front of him, looking worried. Two things stood out about this one. First: the bright blue scarf he was wearing and second, the little tuft of hair on the head. Up until now, Lloyd only seen ones with safety helmets on, so who's to say they didn't all have this?

"A-are you okay? Can you hear me?" The Goron looked worried but seemed shy at the same time, his eyes shifting to another Goron that was with them.

"Count your lucky stars," said this Goron. "Yubono here saw you in a tight spot and protected you with his special shield. That was pretty heroic of yah, brother."

"Ooh, you think so?" The obviously young Goron said, shyly scratching the back of his neck.

"You saved my life. I'm so in your debt, thank you!"

Lloyd went to shake the Goron's hand. Because he was young, he was not that much bigger than Lloyd himself, but that handshake; oef, that was a strong one.

"Sorry, I should have thought of that. And I couldn't just leave you out there."

"So, you caught rocks for me?" That was still amazing. Also, because there was not a scratch on Yubono. Even if he was a sturdy Goron, you'd at least see something, right?

"I... have special protection. Nothing goes through it."

An orange glow appeared around Yubono, in a sphere like shape. Lloyd reached out to touch it. Even though it looked see-through, it was solid, and seemed to push his hand back. This was the closest to magic the teen had seen here yet.

"How are you doing that?" Lloyd asked impressed.

"Um..."

"Yubono, don't be nervous, you used your gift well, that is nothing to be ashamed off." The other Goron said calmly.

"Yeah, you are my savior!" Lloyd chimed in.

"I-I should go." Yubono rolled up and got away quickly this way.

The Goron left, sighed. "He still feels he can't live up to his grandfather." Of course, he got a confused frown from that remark. "Daruk, the Champion, meant to tame Vah Rudiana. Sadly, everything went wrong."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I should still try to talk to him, because he was heroic!"

"Very true. But hold on there, goro. You can't go outside. The heat will get to you right away. We rarely get humans here." He studied Lloyd curiously. "You must have a really good reason to be here."

"Yeah, I do. I guess I need to speak to the chief about it." That was what happened last time, so it only seemed logic. They seem to have the necessary information.

The Goron nodded in understanding, not even asking any further. He walked to a corner of the small, stone home to pick up something. It turned out to be some kind of suit. The kind Lloyd's dad would sometimes wear when he had to make something involving a lot of heat and danger of flying cinders.

"I think you can make use of this. It will be heavy, but it will give you heat resistance, about equal to an elixir. There is a shop where I work for, where we sell a whole set. Then you'll be fully protected. That is up to you though, if you want to get it. It aint cheap. Good luck, goro."

"Thanks a bunch. You sure I can have this?"

Lloyd took the suit. It was no joke it was heavy, but he had built up strength he would like to say, so the teen was able to hold it up.

"Yes, Goro. I got a feeling you can really use it."

"Wow, thanks again. Where do I find the chief? Oh, and what about the eruptions?"

"When you step out and look int the city, you will see a shrine. The building closest to that is where the chief lives. You don't have to worry about the eruptions. For some reason, the city is not suffering under them."

That was a bit odd. While Lloyd put on the hefty suit, he wondered about this. It was mentioned the Divine Beast caused the eruptions, though how, wasn't clear to him. Was it targeting the area around the town so that no one could get out, or in?

At the very least, the chief should be able to tell Lloyd a thing or two. The Goron helped him with the fastening clips, so the suit would stay in place.

Lloyd nodded to him in thanks and headed outside. The city wasn't too big, then again it was built in and around rocks. The shrine was easy to spot, being almost in the center, and raised up. It would probably be smart to unlock that one, just in case. He wished he had done so in Rito Village.

First try to speak to the chief. There was a rock building in front of the shrine, that seemed different than the others. Only a tarp was blocking the doorway, so Lloyd carefully pulled it aside.

"Uh, excuse me?"

The inside was actually quite simple; it was mostly a big seat, on which an older looking Goron sat. He had a big, white beard, tied together at several places. Some rocks were protruding out of his shoulders and back. Dark sports dotted his sand colored skin.

"Eh, who is there?" Old age cracked through this Goron's voice while he squinted his eyes to see better. "Huh, a human, all the way up here?"

"Yes, sir. I've come here to help you with the Beast."

The chief leaned forward. "Come closer."

Lloyd just went along and stepped closer. Still squinting, the chief looked him over.

"I know what you are going to say: I don't look like the hero. But I have what's needed and already helped out the Rito."

Lloyd pulled out the Slate to show it. Disbelieve crossed the old Goron's face.

"Some have reported seeing the great beam going towards the castle. This was really your doing?"

"Yup. I want to help out with this one as well. Do you have information about the Beast?"

"Hmm. I suppose there are reasons for changes here. But as long as you can tame Vah Rudania, that is all that matters. The road, is the path up the volcano, Death Mountain. It's a dangerous one. Deadly, if you do not have the right protection. The Beast will keep sending eruptions and small flying Guardians until the treat is dealt with. It also hides cunningly in and around the volcano, making it hard to reach."

This was sounding like an almost impossible task. But there had to be a way. There always was a way!

"Yubono can help you. He inherited Daruk's protection. You will need that to get to the top. Sadly, that kid did not inherit any of his grandfather's bravery."

"You are wrong. He does have bravery, in his own way. He was the one who protected me from an eruption." Lloyd made a fist and rose it as a show of strength.

"Hmm. Well then, I hope for you he will keep that up. He will know the way. If he is doubtful, tell him he can for-fill his duty with going with you."

Oh, I'm not going to tell him that, Lloyd thought to himself. Duty, destiny, you shouldn't be bound to it so hard. It wasn't always a straight lined as it seemed. Lloyd knew that from seeing this back in Colette and Zelos. They were destined to die, and still, they didn't. Another way was found.

As long as you had the will to change the norm, you will be able too. It's wrong to force someone. Yubono showed some bravery already. It's probably deep within him, and Lloyd will try to get this out of him.

"There isn't much more. We don't know much about Vah Rudania."

So, going in kind of blind once again. Fine, there was no real other way.

"Any clue where I can find him?"

The chief shook his head. "That child goes every which way. Ask around."

Lloyd nodded. "Thanks for the info, I will go to tame the Beast."

"I pray for a good outcome. Good luck, goro." It was an interesting praise, all Goron's seemed to use. And if they were closer, it seemed to be 'brother'.

Time to ask around about Yubono's whereabouts. One Goron pointed Lloyd to the other exit of the city, saying that he saw the young one go that way. After quickly unlocking the shrine (it was on the way), the teen walked out, spotting a large lava river ahead. That was crazy. How were they able to live here? Was is always like this, or did it get worse because of the Beast?

Spotting another Goron, Lloyd approached this one, asking about Yubono. "Yeah, I saw him alright. He went down toward the old mining spot. Donno why though, that place can be dangerous with the Lizalfos there."

Then why would he go there, if this was a known fact? Worried and also wondering why this Goron didn't do anything to stop his fellow kinsmen, Lloyd went down the road he was pointed too.

For some reason, this mine was in the middle of the lava lake. Maybe this was why it was old; it was probably claimed by the deadly stuff. Also, it didn't look like a mine. It was just a collection of big rocks, poking out of the lava. On some if these rocks, Lizalfos were standing around. Their color was adjusted for their surroundings, which was interesting. But Lloyd was looking for Yubono, and he couldn't spot him.

While scanning the area, Lloyd noticed some strange contraptions made of metal which mostly had the shape of a canon. The farthest rock was the biggest, which seemed to have a typical, stone building. This one seemed to be blocked of by rocks, however.

"Yubono, can you hear me, are you here?!" Lloyd called out as loud as possible.

This attracted attention from the Lizalfos, but it was not like they could reach him. Unless they were able to swim in lava... No, that would be absurd.

Despite the noise of bobbling lava and the mountain itself, Lloyd could hear a faint 'help me' coming from the blocked building. It was safe to assume that Yubono was stuck in there.

How to get him out, was the question. Lloyd took a closer look at the canon. He did remember the bombs the slate could make out of nowhere. It was worth a try. He made a round bomb appear and dropped it in the bulky canon. A big handle was close by, and the fact the contraption was on a rail, made Lloyd think this was the turning system.

At the moment, the canon was pointing at nothing. With some effort, he pulled the lever. It turned with a lot of noise, and pointed straight at a couple of Lizalfos, together on a rock. Having no clue if this was going to work, Lloyd stepped back and tapped the 'detonate' button.

The bomb flew out with force, with great speed it hit right in between the big creatures and went 'boom'. They went flying, all three of them hitting the lava and sinking in. Lloyd was sure this killed them. Interesting enough, the explosion blew away some rocks, which created an upward airflow.

Curious, but also useful. There was no real way to cross the gap, this gave Lloyd one. But would it work? He was wearing heavy armor now, would the light glider still hold him up? It would be smarter to test this first with Revali's gale instead of jumping over lava.

To Lloyd's surprise, he was still lifted up with ease. Might as well make use of this height and go as close to the place where he heard Yubono. A bit of bad luck struck, because he headed for a rock with more Lizalfos. They spotted the floating intruder, and began spitting fireballs from their mouths.

Why does this still surprise me, Lloyd thought. The one in the snow spit ice at me. In order to dodge the fireballs, Lloyd just dropped (it wasn't that far) and drove his special sword right in one of the creature's heads. He drew back the sword right away, slicing at the throat of a second Lizalfos.

Ducking under the fireball of the last one, Lloyd rammed in this one, causing it to lose balance and fall backwards into the lava.

Now, Lloyd was faced with a problem. Between him and the destination, there was quite a gap. And for some reason, the orb of Revali wasn't reacting anymore. Its glow was completely gone. He didn't understand why. Was he stuck here now, really?

The teen looked around, trying to find any way out of this situation. On the side, the was a small island, with a canon on top of it. He could make it, just using the glider and the warm air, hopefully.

The canon seemed to be set on the construction he needed to get to. Maybe I can hitch a ride. Yes, it's a crazy thought, but I'll jump of in time. It'll be fine!

So, Lloyd went with this crazy thought, floating to the island. He spotted some more rubble, just like the pile he blew up before that released airflow. Yeah, that would be a safer bet.

That pile had to go first. It did expose exactly what was expected. Then, Lloyd tried to aim at the rubble blocking the building. It wasn't quite right. This meant it had to be timed.

"Yubono! I don't know if you can hear me, but I am gonna get you out of there! Just protect yourself." Lloyd called out as loud as he could.

After two misses, the third shot was right on, blowing away the rocks, covering the entrance of the building. Lloyd hurried to take a ride on the air current and reached the end goal.

Yubono was inside the building still. He seemed to be unharmed, but he was shaking of fear, his protective shield glowing brightly. His back was turned and he was all huddled up, letting out little whines.

Lloyd closed in slowly. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me. You're safe, no need to be afraid."

"Huh?" With a sniff, Yubono turned and spotted the human.

It wasn't hard to recognize him; his hair was unique already, next to that he was the only human around these parts. Lloyd gave him a comforting smile, stepping in the small building. Next to a chest and a really big kind of weapon the teen had never seen before, it was empty.

"Are you okay?"

Yubono gave a small nod after a moment of recollecting himself, dropping his shield. "You...you've come to save me?" He asked with a small voice.

"It's the least I could do, after what you did for me. Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Lloyd Irving."

"Heh, you are pretty alright, Lloyd. Thank you." Yubono smiled.

"So, why are you here anyway?"

"Oh, um. It's pretty stupid." The young Goron scratched the back of his head, his gaze now fixed on the oddly shaped weapon. "I thought: 'I already did one courageous act, I can do another one.' I came here to retrieve the chief's favorite weapon. But then all those scary creatures showed up. I closed myself in... like a coward. I'm useless."

Yubono looked down at the ground. The teen shook his head, laying a hand on his rock like arm.

"Bravery and courage aren't gained in one day. And you don't have to constantly proof yourself just so others think better of you. You shouldn't have to live up to someone else. That just isn't fair. You just do what you can do, what you are comfortable with. You are you. Not your grandfather. You do things your own way."

"Do things my own way... I never thought of it like that. I do not need to prove myself." Yubono nodded to these words. They really gave him a boost. "I am willing to help and that should be enough."

Lloyd nodded, smiley approvingly. "Good, a great resolve indeed. Let's get out of here. I got an easy short cut."

"Huh, short cut?" Yubono looked confused, picking up the heavy looking weapon with relative ease.

"I haven't tried it yet, but I was told it would work."

Lloyd pulled the Slate from his bag. As soon as the Goron laid his eyes on this, they became like big, dark orbs, filled with surprise.

"That's..." looking at the Slate, his eyes then shifted to Lloyd himself. "You are..."

The teen just smiled, and then tapped the 'travel' button, next to the shrine that was in the city. The both of them were engulfed by a blue light, which got so bright, they saw nothing for a couple of seconds. When their sight came back, they were both standing on the round platform of the shrine.

Good, so it does work. That's a relieve, Lloyd thought to himself.

"Wow. That is amazing! I'm so honored to be in the presence of the hero himself!" Yubono cupped a hand of the teen with both of his and shook enthusiastically.

"Hey, easy there. I..."

Lloyd had to muffle a yawn. He was feeling the fatigue set in. Because of all the smoke and brightness of the lava, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. Did he climb the mountain all through the night? No wonder he felt his legs burning up.

"Oh, sorry, you must be tired! There is an inn right over there." Yubono pointed out the building, south east from them. "Take the rest you need. I will go see our chief. Thanks again, hero!"

Lloyd wanted to correct him, but the Goron already rolled away towards the chief's home. Inn, sleep. That was on Lloyd 's mind now. He stumbled to the building, which was mostly carved in a small cave. He put down the right number of rupees, planning to just face plant into a bed.

"I can help with that armor. You won't sleep well in that thing." the owner offered.

Good point. Lloyd allowed the Goron to help him with taking of the armor. With that heavy thing of, now Lloyd could drop himself on the soft bed and drift off into a very deep sleep.